Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2006AK49B

Effect of Raw Water Characteristics on Membrane Fouling for Filtration of Surface Water with High Organic Matter Content

Institute: Alaska
Year Established: 2006 Start Date: 2006-03-01 End Date: 2009-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $96,138 Total Non-Federal Funds: $31,635

Principal Investigators: Silke Schiewer

Abstract: Membrane filtration can be used to produce quality drinking water from surface water with high organic matter content. However, organic matter often leads to severe fouling of membranes during this process. The goal of this research is to investigate the extent to which charge effects (attraction, repulsion) can explain the impact of known important process parameters (pH, ionic strength, divalent cation concentration) on fouling and filtration effectiveness. Through systematic variation of these parameters for different membranes and classes of organic matter, their impact will be evaluated, and recommendations for an effective process design that minimizes fouling will be made.